Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is not an all-or-nothing situation. There is a dairy food for nearly every diet, even for those who must choose a lactose-free option. Lactose-free milk is real milk and provides the same nine essential nutrients as found in the equivalent form of regular milk.

These are among the many lactose intolerance messages Dairy MAX carries forward to health professional organizations to assure they are getting accurate information on what is often a misdiagnosed and misunderstood condition.

New research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates the prevalence of lactose intolerance is unclear, giving Dairy MAX more opportunities for education and stressing the need for a proper diagnosis from a doctor.

The NIH concluded in its report findings that run consistent with the stance of the National Dairy Council: “Many individuals with real or perceived lactose intolerance avoid dairy and ingest inadequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, which may predispose them to decreased bone accrual, osteoporosis, and other adverse health outcomes. In most cases, individuals do not need to eliminate dairy consumption completely.”

Dairy MAX staff dietitians and nutritionists target local and state dietetic association meetings as a primary way of delivering education and resources on lactose intolerance. Dairy MAX is on site at annual state dietetic association meetings in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma where several hundred key nutrition leaders are in attendance. The staff attends local meetings in key markets such as San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Albuquerque, Lubbock and Oklahoma City. The purpose of these efforts is to encourage third party professionals to speak positively on behalf of the dairy industry.

For the first time, Dairy MAX has plans to conduct outreach to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program with a milk tasting program aimed to show lactose-free or reduced-lactose products have the same taste and nutritional value as other dairy foods. WIC supports these products as a first choice before non-dairy options for those with lactose intolerance.